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Monorail: CPS Replies Wike
Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor, Mr. David Iyofor says comments made by the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, on Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Rivers monorail during a television interview with Channels TV were misleading and false.
Iyofor who addressed pressmen after taking journalists on a facility tour of the Rivers State monorail project along Azikiwe Road, last Monday in Port Harcourt said contrary to Wike’s claim that nothing was happening at the Rivers monorail, work was going on even at the time he spoke to journalists at the project site. The site engineer also spoke to the journalists.
Iyofor said: “Gentlemen of the press, as you can see work is ongoing at the monorail project, so it’s funny when we hear the supervising minister for education, Nyesom Wike say that work is not going on. I mean, today is Monday, February 3, 2014 and this morning you all heard him on TV saying there is no work going on the monorail. Wike had been asked pointedly, he said, no, nothing was happening on the monorail project, he said no work is going on at the Rivers Monorail project but I’m glad you all are here today and you can see that work is going on the monorail and as you heard the site engineer say, they even work day and night so that they could meet the target for completion and that the monorail is already 85 per cent completed according to him, so it’s even funny if a minister that is supposed to be an honourable minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) could come on national TV to attempt to deceive Nigerians.”
“It’s something that all can see, I mean anybody that drives through Azikiwe road could see that work is ongoing, work has been ongoing on this project and is ongoing on the project, and Wike can come on national TV say that nothing is happening at the Rivers monorail.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary described as outrageous and a wicked lie the claims by Wike that the new schools that the Governor has built all over the State are only in Port Harcourt city.
Iyofor also refuted Wike’s claim that Governor Amaechi did not make him Minister in President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, recalling that Governor Amaechi pleaded with President Jonathan for Wike to be accepted as a ministerial nominee.
“The bottom line is that Governor Amaechi nominated him (Wike) to be a minister. Wike said his name was number 2 or number 3 the ministerial list sent to the President by the governor. So what does he want? For the governor to put number one, Nyesom Wike, number two, Nyesom Wike, number three, Nyesom Wike, number four, Nyesom Wike?.
Like the governor said at the Ogbakor Ikwerre Convention that the president clearly refused, that he did not know Wike, the governor said at the Ogbakor Ikwerre convention and Sampson Agbaru was at that meeting with the president when the president said he did not know Nyesom Wike from Adam and he refused to make him a Minister but Governor Amaechi had to beg and beg and beg for Wike to be made a minister, so how else does a man make somebody a minister?”
Also speaking to journalists on the monorail project, the site engineer, Mr. Dele Mateola, who was at the project site at the time of the interview said, work was in progress and nearing completion.
He said the Azikiwe station of the monorail was 85 per cent completed, stressing that his men work day and night to meet the target date.
He said: “Actually, with the level we are going now, especially on Azikiwe station we have gone up to 85 per cent completion and we are expecting by maybe ending of February we should be rounding up especially for the external works. Maybe, by the time you come here in the next two weeks we will have put asphalt on the road and that is to show that we are working seriously.
“Look around, you see that there are a lot of workers working, a lot of noise around here, that is to show that we are moving very fast according to the programme of work. The only thing that can delay us, because most of these materials that we are using, they are state-of –the –art materials and they are not something that is readily available, they have to be imported and that is the only time lag that we may have. So before the end of February, if those materials come in we should be saying bye bye. We even work in the night also to make sure that we meet up”, Mateola said.
Nigerians were among more than 140 residents injured after Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles at the United Arab Emirates, at the weekend.
This raised fresh fears for thousands of Nigerians living and working in the Gulf nation.
The UAE Ministry of Defence disclosed last Saturday that its air defence systems intercepted several missiles and drones fired from Iran, describing the attack as a major escalation in the ongoing regional tensions.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the ministry said its air defence units engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones during the latest assault on March 14.
It added that the attacks left six people dead and 141 others injured, including foreign nationals.
“The UAE air defence systems on March 14 engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 UAVs launched from Iran,” the ministry stated.
“Since the onset of this blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,600 UAVs launched from Iran,” UAE added.
According to the ministry, those killed in the attacks included citizens of the UAE as well as foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
“Although the authorities did not specify the exact locations where the casualties occurred, the ministry said the injured victims were from several countries, including Nigeria.
Others affected include residents from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The list also included Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.
The Tide reports that this development has sparked concern among Nigerian communities in the UAE, where thousands of citizens live and work in sectors such as construction, hospitality, logistics and trade.
Data from Nigeria’s diaspora commission shows that the UAE remains one of the largest destinations for Nigerian migrants in the Middle East, particularly in the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
The Nigerian government had in recent years raised concerns over the safety and welfare of its citizens in the country following diplomatic tensions and visa restrictions affecting Nigerians.
Saturday’s attacks have now heightened anxieties within the diaspora community, especially as the Gulf region faces growing military confrontations.
In its statement, the UAE Ministry of Defence said the country remained fully prepared to confront any threats to its security.
“The Ministry of Defence remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine state security in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguards its national interests and capabilities,” the ministry said.
In a separate update, the ministry noted that its defence systems were still actively intercepting missiles and drones.
“UAE air defences are dealing with Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” it said.
Regional media reports indicate that the attacks form part of a wider escalation of hostilities between Iran and Western-backed forces in the Middle East.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran has continued sustained missile and drone strikes across the Gulf despite protests from neighbouring states.
The strikes were said to be in retaliation for military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iranian positions in the region.
Tehran targeted several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, late on Friday and into Saturday.
The attacks also caused infrastructural damage in parts of the UAE.
Meanwhile, Iran’s elite military wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that US interests in the UAE would remain legitimate targets.
Iranian state media reported that the group issued the warning after US forces attacked Iranian-controlled islands.
The IRGC specifically mentioned ports, docks and military installations linked to the United States as potential targets.
It also urged residents in the UAE to evacuate areas around ports and military facilities to avoid civilian casualties.
Security analysts say the growing exchange of threats and strike across the Gulf could destabilise the region’s economic and aviation activities if the conflict escalates further.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the five new commissioners sworn-in last Wednesday to put in their best for the development of the State.
Fubara gave the charge during the swearing-in of the commissioners at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
This followed the successful screening of the five commissioners by the Rivers State House of Assembly, last Tuesday.
The five commissioners are Tonye Bellgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Mr. Lekue Kenneth, and Sir Amairigha Edward Hart.
The Tide reports that the governor had sent nine commissioner-nominees to the Assembly for screening, but the Assembly confirmed only five nominees and rejected the nomination of four over various allegations.
Those rejected by the Assembly are Prof. Dantonye Alasia, Mrs. Charity Demua, Mr. Tamuno Williams, and Otonye Amachree.
The governor congratulated the new commissioners on their appointment, noting that their thorough screening by the Rivers State House of Assembly was a proof of their capabilities.
He urged them to deploy their wealth of experience in various fields and put the State on a fast lane of development.
“Ordinarily, I am supposed to charge you on your responsibilities and how to operate. But that has been taken care of by the screening at the Assembly.
“I believe that going through one of the most rigorous screenings, it is enough to say that for those of you who succeeded, you are fit and ready to deliver to our dear State.
“So there is no further charge. The screening was the charge, so I wish you the best as I don’t expect anything less than the best from you,” Fubara said.
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar, Cross River State.
The Director of Naval Information, Capt Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement released in Abuja, yesterday.
Folorunsho said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He said the action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
According to him, an Anti–Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he said.
Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining, was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, in another operation, intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority area in Calabar, Cross River State.
He said the interception was based on credible intelligence on suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team, according to him, swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.
“On sighting the naval patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, after which the area was cordoned off and the illegally siphoned products secured,” he said.
Folorunsho said further inspection led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which had been evacuated to the naval base for further necessary action in line with extant regulations.
He noted that the successes aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Folorunsho reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through intensified surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.